Improvement in shoe-fastenings



UNITED .STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANKLIN D. FORD, OF NEW BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS, AND ELMER DIMCIN- TOSH, OF VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN SHOE-FASTENINGS.

Specification formingpart of Letters Patent No. 117,876, dated August 8, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANKLIN D. FORD, of New Bedford, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, and ELMZER D. MCINTOSH, of Vashington, District of Columbia, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Shoe- Fasteniug; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, a-nd exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawing making a part of this specification, and to the letters and 1i gures of reference marked thereon.

Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8 of the drawing are detailed views of our invention., Fig. 7 is a view showing the application of our fastening.

Our invention has relation to certain improvements in means for fastening shoes; and it consists in the construction and novel arrangement of devices designed to serve an important purpose for attaching, in a convenient and economical manner, the lacing described in Letters Patent No. 111,625, dated February 7, 1871, or any other lacing to which the said devices may be suited.

A ofthe drawing designates an ordinary gaiter. B represents the tongue-piece attached to the gaiter in the ordinary manner. C designates an eyelet, forming a passage through the leather of the shoe below the angle formed by the intersection ofthe sides of the instep-opening. D represents a similar eyelet-passage through. the tongue above the angle. Through these eylets the double laeings described in the Letters Iatent above referred to are passed, a-nd where they emerge from each eyelet, on the outside of the shoe, they are divided, the ends from thelower eyelet passing right and left to the iirst or lowest pair of projecting eyes e, and the ends from the eyelet in the tongue passing in a similar manner to the next or second pair of eyes. Proceeding to the top of the gaiter the lacing is continued in the manner described in the patent above referred to. The eye e consi sts of an ordinary button-back with its wire loop, which I have found to serve an excellent purpose in this connection. The wire loop is passed through suitable openings in the leather while the disk of the button-back is secured between the surface-leather and the edge-strip or lining. The concave form of the button-back serves to guard the foot from the pressure of the wire ends as they lie divided or bent apart therein. In other words, the pressure of the prominent portions ofthe button-back is more distributed, and when covered with a strip or edging of suitable thickness it is not perceived in such a manner as to create discomfort.

Sometimes, when the leather employed is unusually tliin and delicate, it is designed to mash or press the disk in such a manner that its under side shall be iiat or plain 5 at the same time the ends of the wires which were below the metal of the disk are designed to be forced up into the metal of the disk in the manner indicated at Figs. 4, 5, and 6, thereby presenting a at and even surface, which will not cause discomfort to the foot, even where the edge-strip or lining which lies between the foot and the plate is of thin material. 1

The eyelet D as well as the eyelet C may be passed through the leather of the shoe below the angle instead of through the tongue, the design being merely to have one eyelet below the other and about as far apart as the iirst two pairs of eyes e, so that when the laces are in position they Vwill not pass through either eye c at too'aeute an angle. Instead of the eyelet-openin gs, eyes projecting through the leather may be employed.

We claim as our invention- 1. A boot or shoe provided with the eyes e eand eyelet-openings or eyes C Dfsubstantially as specified.

2. In a shoe,the button-back placed under the leather with its loop projecting up through the leather to form the eye c, substantially as speciiied. f

In testimony that we claim' the above we have hereunto subscribed our names in the presence of two witnesses.

f FRANKLIN D. FORD. Vitnesses: ELMER D. MCINTOSH.

I). D. KANE, F. B. CURTIs. 

